Friend in Need
by zebraboymom
Summary: Extension of Ka Ho'oponopono episode. The scene that should have happened at the end instead of going to black. Steve/Kono.


Friend in Need

Chapter Four

Zebraboymom

Disclaimer: They are not mine. I will want them to be forever.

Author Notes: I know I have two other stories going, but Monday night I was so excited to see Kono get some Steve time that I had to take the episode one scene further. I had to bang out this one shot. I promise to get an update for Payback tomorrow.

It was ten o'clock and Kono was heading to bed. She was really tired and it had been a long day. The girl that was murdered still weighed heavily on her heart. She knew Steve felt the same way. It had been hard to watch him try to control his anger as he talked to her boyfriend in the hospital. She wondered if he was thinking about Mary. In the end the girl was just a casualty of greed and men who didn't care about anything bit themselves. It made her sick.

She shook her head, stood up and yawned. Her bed was sounding really good right about now. She had already changed into sleep shorts and a tank ready to call it a night, so she crossed the living room towards her bedroom just as there was a soft knock on the door. Who would come by this late? She looked through her peephole and sucked in her breath when she saw a bereft Steve standing on her porch running his hand through his hair. She opened the door and his eyes came up to meet hers.

"Boss…Steve what are you doing here?"

"I…I've been driving around and I just…I need to talk to someone."

"I'd say I'm flattered, but I have a feeling I wasn't your first choice."

"I can't talk to Chin. We argued today. He doesn't trust Joe. He doesn't believe Joe is innocent."

"What about Danny?"

"Danny's not answering his phone."

"Ah. He's probably with Lori. They went for drinks after work."

"You didn't go?"

"And be the third wheel? No thanks. I get enough of their flirting at work. So McGarrett, I'm the fall back brah?"

"You need to know I have never thought of you as a brother."

"Thanks. I think."

A small smile finally tugged at his lips, but fell short. Kono became extremely concerned. His voice came out soft and uncertain.

"It's a short list of people I trust Kono. Please don't give me a hard time. Not tonight."

She responded softly.

"I'm here Boss. Tell me what you need."

She swung the door open. Steve came in, but stood awkwardly waiting to see if he was really welcome. They were just starting to get back to a normal relationship after all the fallout from the beginning of the year. It had made a mess of their relationship for some time.

"Come on in. Want a beer?"

"Um, yeah. That'd be great."

Steve shuffled over to her couch and plopped down like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. She supposed he did. Grabbing two beers out of the fridge she passed him one as she stepped over his outstretched legs and parked herself on the other end of the couch. Pulling her legs up, she sat facing him sideways, her legs criss-crossed.

"So what's going on?"

"I don't even know where to start. It's been a horrible day. From the minute we worked that girl's crime scene things have gone from bad to worse. Mary's been on my mind all day. The way they treated her like she didn't even matter? It just killed me. I tried to save a man's life this afternoon and I watched him fall to his death. He was corrupt, but he was a person. I tried so hard to hang on to him, but…"

"I'm sorry Steve. Sometimes the job is just too much. It's all part of it though. Something else happened though didn't it?"

"You know me pretty well Kono. Death is a part of what we see every day. What's really thrown me off is Joe."

"Tonight I saved him from being beaten to death by Hiro Noshimuri's son Adam. He let him believe his father was dead."

"Isn't he?"

"Not according to Joe. He claims he helped him fake his death."

"Why would he do that?"

"I honestly don't know. I'm so confused and frustrated right now. I kept trying to get him to talk to me on the way home, but he refused to tell me much. I slammed the brakes on my truck and told him I wanted answers. He gave me some bull about how he'd have me up on disciplinary charges for asking that if I was still one of his squad. I told him he wasn't my CO anymore and he said, you're right. He just opened the door and got out of my truck and walked away. He's like a father to me Kono. I can't stand the idea of losing someone else I love. I lost my mom, then my dad. I had to send Mary away after I almost lost her. I almost lost you there for a while. I can't take anymore."

Kono wasn't sure she heard him right. Was he including her as someone he loved?

Steve leaned his head back against her couch and pressed his fists into his closed eyes. It didn't help. When he dropped them again, the tears flowed freely down his face. He turned his head to look at her and she reached her hand to tenderly wipe them away. He was breaking her heart.

"I was tortured over Shelborne. Jenna paid with her life. I deserve answers Kono, but he won't give me any. Doesn't he know I love him? Doesn't that mean anything to him?"

"I don't know Steve. I really don't know what he's thinking, but I suspect he's just trying to protect you."

"That's what my dad did and he got himself killed. I can't stand to lose Joe too Kono. I think I would come completely unraveled. I want Wo Fat so bad I can taste it. I want him dead. I never thought I could hate someone so much, but I do. I feel like I'm just like him now. I'm full of hate. I'm no better than he is."

Kono sat up then and moved closer to him, getting in his face.

"Steve McGarrett, you take that back right now. You are not anything like him."

"Oh, no?"

"What makes me any better than he is?"

"You help people Steve. You may bend the rules from time to time, but you only do it when it matters. You don't do it out of some selfish desire. You dod it because you want to make a difference."

Steve was looking at Kono funny. She had never seen that look on his face before. It made her feel confused and happy at the same time.

"Why do you care so much?"

"What?"

"You always seem to see the good in people no matter what. Something to add to the Kono list."

"List?"

"I sort of have a list of all the ways you care."

"You…do?"

"It's what makes you the special person you are."

"Some people would say it makes me naïve."

"No, there's a difference."

"Sometimes I'm not so sure."

Steve grabbed her hand fiercely in his.

"Never apologize for caring. You cared about me when I was an asshole to you. You put your life on the line for the team."

"True, but that's water under the bridge."

"Not as far as I'm concerned. You're very forgiving: one more thing to add to your caring list. You forgave me when I didn't deserve it."

"You let me be the judge of that."

Steve realized he still had her hand crushed in his. He relaxed his grip and gently stroked his thumb over her palm making the hair on Kono's arm stand on end.

"Thanks for listening Kono. I'm just so…"

"You're exhausted. You need to lie down and rest. Come here."

Kono sat back on the couch and put a pillow in her lap. She reached for Steve and pulled him down so his head was in her lap. He couldn't believe she was inviting him to stay.

"I should go."

Kono laid one arm across his chest holding him down on the couch.

"Shh. Just rest for a bit. Let me watch over you for a change. You're always so busy looking after everyone else. Let it go for a few hours and just rest."

Kono ran her fingers through his hair in a gentle stroking pattern and Steve felt himself starting to relax. He looked up at her and she smiled down at him. They continued to look at each other for a long time before Steve's eyes drifted shut. He looked so peaceful for once. His face relaxed and he looked like the boy he must have once been before his life became so complicated. Kono reached over and switched off the lamp. She knew she was going to be sore in the morning, but it would be worth it. She continued to watch him sleep in the moonlight coming in through the window. Eventually she drifted off as well.

Kono awoke to the feeling of someone stroking her arm. Steve had reached up and was running her hand up and down her arm in an attempt to gently wake her. It was nice. She smiled and realized her fingers were still tangled in Steve's hair. His voice was gravelly in the morning.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself. Sleep well?"

"I slept better than I have in months."

"I'm glad."

"But what about you? It can't have been comfortable sleeping sitting up all night. I feel guilty."

"You know what? I honestly didn't mind it. It was nice to have some company after such a bad case."

Steve felt terrible.

"Kono, I'm sorry. I didn't even ask you how you were doing last night. The case was hard on everybody."

"It was, but having you here took my mind off it and I didn't have to deal with it alone for once."

"I never pictured you alone before. I just always assumed you had lots of friends and family."

"You'd be surprised. I can't really discuss what we do with anyone but Chin. My family would probably freak out if they knew the cases we had to deal with, so I just go surfing and try to clear my head or talk to Chin, although that's changing now that he's married."

"Well, I would like to offer my ear anytime a case gets to you. Promise me you'll come to me the next time it's a tough one?"

"Okay."

Steve knew he should sit up, but he loved being here so close to her.

"I'm really glad I came over Kono."

He smiled at her.

"You are far superior to Danny in so many ways."

"Really? And just what would those be?"

"Well for one thing you have really soft hands."

"Uh-huh."

"And laying in your lap wasn't such a bad way to sleep at all."

"I see."

"And there's one thing that I want to do with you that I certainly don't ever want to do with Danny."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"This."

Steve turned his body towards her and slid his hand up her arm to wrap it around her neck, pulling her to him. He kissed her deeply and when he finally let her go she returned the kiss with another more passionate one. It was hard to pull back, but she finally did. The way Steve was looking at her made her smile the biggest dimply grin she had.

"I don't think I've ever been thanked quite like that before, but I liked it."

"Thanks for being a friend. You're a great listener Kono. I felt really cared for. I can't believe I never came over here before."

"I'm really glad you did."

Steve pulled her over him until she was lying on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. Kono giggled.

"We need to get to work you know."

"Hey, what about me being a friend in need? You wouldn't abandon me would you?"

"Um, okay. Let me just check with my boss."

"No problem. I know him and I know for a fact that he's very understanding."

"Okay then. I'm all yours."

"I like that."

Kono laughed and looked down at him. Their lips were inches apart.

"You certainly seem to be feeling better."

"Yeah, I am. See I have this really good friend and she…"

His words were left unsaid as Kono's lips captured his again. A mutual sigh escaped both of them and they were late for work…very late.


End file.
